1988 Hoover Turbomaster U4362 Softbag

[alexhoovers94]

Here we have a lovely condition Hoover Turbomaster Soft bag, this is one of the rarer Turbomaster cleaners, although all the Turbomaster cleaners are getting increasingly harder to get hold of but this one and the electronic are especially rare as they are a non Total System variant as the Turbomasters were not made for that long, 5 years at most and many people bought the Total System versions with the on board attachments as it seemed to be the new trend at the time.

I am usually all for the Total Systems, however I do like my Soft bags and this cleaner is just very attractive in appearance and a gem to use and to my surprise is no heavier than the Turbolite!

This machine runs fantastically and has had a good bath, bag wash and polish, it came up pretty nice, the head lamp seems to be original, 12v 12 watt, VERY bright!
It only cost about 23 quid so was not to bad and it came with the tools.
The only real issue with it is that one wheel had smashed in half, which I knew when I bought it, I don't think I will find a replacement for some time, however, I managed to fit a Turbopower Junior wheel on which works well and will see me through until I track a Turbomaster wheel down.

Here it is anyway...[this post was last edited: 3/10/2014-20:56]

 

[alexhoovers94]

side view...

 

[alexhoovers94]

Back...Notice the sturdier cord hook and carry handle...

 

[alexhoovers94]

Other side...Notice the Turbopower wheel...

 

[alexhoovers94]

Tatty handle sticker...

 

[vintagerepairer]

It was absurd that Hoover should wish to place a cleaner like this on sale in the UK. Why? Well whilst there is nothing actually wrong with it (for what its worth I think it is a most attractive cleaner), a "soft bag" cleaner catered very much for two niche markets, these being those who favoured a lightweight traditional cleaner, and those who were on a budget. When this cleaner went on sale, softbag uprights were amongst the cheapest available.

The Turbomaster softbag was not lightweight. It was also far from traditional. And further more, it was far from inexpensive. Add to this, at the same time Hoover were also manufacturing the U1104 Junior & exclusive versions of same, as well as the Turbopower Junior & Turbopower Junior Electricity Board Exclusive, and also the Turbolite from the USA.

So you see, the Turbomaster softbag missed it's target consumer on practically every level. It had no place in our market, and Hoover was competing with itself in terms of all the other softbag offerings I listed above. But that was Hoover to a tee.

 

[alexhoovers94]

Hoover logo on bag...

 

[alexhoovers94]

I agree with you Benny, But it that little bit more unusual.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Unusual

For a collector, I agree wholeheartedly and I am pleased for you that you own it. However, for the consumer of 1987 or so, the fact it was "unusual" was not exactly a selling point, at least not sufficiently so to justify paying the price to own one.

Not only this, "softbag" cleaners were not desirable by most consumers. It was the absence of weight and the low price tag which people chose them for. A Turbomaster was state of the art. Thus, to get one with a soft-bag could well be likened to seeing that Harry lad from 'No Direction' dressed up in his grandmothers flannelette night dress, should you be able to imagine such a sight. Hardly something which is going to appeal to their target audience.

 

[alexhoovers94]

I think your dead right, but then there is the Hard box standard and electronic non Total System what was the point in those? why would you buy a non Total System model if you were going hard box? Seems silly.

 

[madabouthoovers]

Sometimes, its the "unpopularity" of a particular model that makes it more collectable, and a talking point in years to come - much like it is here. Benny will look at this machine and say to himself - Christ - I haven't seen one of those for years!


We could say the same in 20 years time about anyone who still owns a pristine Hoover "the one" as they were famed for being a load of rubbish at the time.


I'm sure you remember the old Austin Allegro - how many do you see now? Wouldn't it be a talking point to see one again? They were about the most unreliable and ugly car that BL produced, but still turn heads today if we see one.

 

[alexhoovers94]

Air freshener control slide.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Ah, well you see there Alex, when the Turbomaster went on sale, most upright cleaners did not have on-board tools. Back then we only had two Electrolux models (610 and 612 Electronic), three Panasonic models (41, 42 electronic, and 43 electronic with headlamp), and two Regina Housekeeper models (standard & electronic). There may have been one or two more, but if there was, I am struggling to recall what they might have been. All the rest had seperate tools, of which the choice was seemingly endless.

Hoover was now entering the "on board tools" market with a cleaner which was not only a first for them, but one which was also superior in a good deal of ways to cleaners which had separate tools. The on-board tools added pounds to the weight of the cleaner and added even more pounds to the price tag. So, there were good grounds for thinking that the models without on-board tools may well have been attractive to the high-end consumer.

The reality was that although the weight and higher cost of the cleaner was a very real consideration, the cleaner was still very heavy and bulky even without the tools on. Further more, the difference in price was not seemingly broad enough for consumers to go for the cheaper model with separate tools. As the saying goes, one may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb, because when you are entering that price bracket, a few more pounds is neither here nor there, especially if one was paying in installments for their new Hoover cleaner.

As I mentioned in another thread, the cost of producing some goods is not proportionate to the extra revenue that a cleaner of a high specification may bring in. Thus, with the cost of making the cleaners without on-board tools probably being not that much less that those with them, and with the latter commanding a higher price tag, plus the cost of the separate tools for the former, it was highly likely that Hoover suspended production of all Turbomaster cleaners without tools so as to sell only those models which had them. Hoover has always carried a vast and overwhelming range of appliances, but sometimes even they knew they had to scale their ranges back. It was a rare event, one has to add.

 

[alexhoovers94]

Cleaner head...

 

[madabouthoovers]

Loving the wheel - must have been fitted by Bodgitt & Scarpa, the rednecks lol

 

[alexhoovers94]

Carpet Care Selection and Tool Conversion door...

[this post was last edited: 3/10/2014-20:56]

 

[alexhoovers94]

Steve...

HAHAHAHA

 

[alexhoovers94]

Brushroll on/off...quite unusal feature for the time...

 

[madabouthoovers]

I remember Roger was selling his TM - the one with all the bells and whistles, and he said his had problems with the brushroll on/off control not engaging the pulley properly - I'm assuming that this function works properly on yours?